Machine for shaping metal plates



FIDPOOQ m2 626.574 ,I v

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No. 626,574) Patented lune s, |899. y g .1. c. sren. u 2 mAcumE Fun sHAPmG METAL Pumas. S Q) 2 (Application med Nov. 2x, was.) y i V um Model s sheets-sheet l.

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Patented lu'ne 6, |899.

J. C. SOTTEH.

MACHINE FOR SHAPING METAL PLATES.

(Application led Nov. 21, 189B.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

VJ @r/WS' MW No. 626,574. Patented ma s, lass.

J. asoman..

AMACHINE FUR SHAPING METAL PLATES.

(Application tiled Nov. 21, 1898.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

l dav?" UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB o. soTfrEE, or Po'rTs'rowN, PEN-NsYLv-i'lNIA.

lvlAcl-HNF.l FoRvs'l-IAPING METAL PLATES.

SPEFATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 626,574, dated .T une 6, 1899.

Application tiled November 21, 1898. Serial No. 697,064. (No modeL):

' cation.

brackets or stays.

chine for dishing metal plates for use as heads in boilers and tanks; but the invention can be used for flanging and shaping metal plates or bars into other forms as well.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front View of my improved plate-shaping machine. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper former. Figg is a perspective view of the lower former. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the swivel-coupling for the upper former.- Fig.. 7 is asection on the line 7 7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a sectional viewof part of Fig. I. Fig. 9 is a View of dies for forming Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the brackets made by the dies,

. Fig. 9; and Fig. 11 is a View of dies for flanginga straight plate. l Fig. 12 is a sectional view through the swivel-coupling, Fig. 6.

Ais the base-plate, on which are mounted the twostandards B B, one on each side of the C C are two vertical screw-shafts adapted to slide in bearings b b on the standards.

the -shaft revolves a vertical reciprocating shafts pass, so that the beam E will reciprocate with the screwshafts.

At the top of the machine is a fixed crossi beam B', and above this beam is ashaft F, 55

adapted to suitable bearings on the beam, and on this shaft are tight and loose pulleys f, f and f 2, to which are adapted the drivingbelts, one belt being driven in one direction and the other belt in the opposite direction. 6o

In order to control the movements of the belts, I provide a shifter-bar G, .having arms g, engaging the belts, andv attached to one end of the shifter-bar Gr is a hand-'lever Gr', within easy reach of the operator and adapted to engage with 'a notched segment g', so that when the -lever G is in the central position the shaft is stationary; but whenthe lever is moved to one extreme position the belts are shifted so that the shaft F will be driven -in one direction Aand-when the lever is moved to the opposite position the shaft F is driven in a reverse direction. y

On the shaft F are bevel-wheels f4 f4,which mesh with bevel-wheels C' C', mounted in bearings on the cross-beam B. -Each wheel C is so coupled to its screw C, Fig. 8, that the screw will be driven by thewheel, but

Will be free to reciprocate therein when moved by the levers D, as described above, so that the cross-beam E not only has apositive reciprocating movement, 'but also a movement on the screws either up or d own, according as the lever G' is shifted.

The shaft F can be moved by hand as follows: Mounted loosely on the shaft is a chainwheel H, having a clutch-face h, and fast on the shaft is a clutch-ring H'. In the wheel H is a grooved hub h', in which is a ring secured to an arm of a lever H2, pivoted to the the operator. H3 is a hand-wheel mounted on a stud projecting from4 the standard B, and on the hub of this hand-wheel is a chainwheel h2: A chain h3 passes around the two chain-wheels H and h2. When the lever H2 is moved so as to throw the chain-wheel H in gear with the shaft F, the shaft can be turned in either direction by turningthe hand-wheel H3. Thus the coarse adjustments can be made by power and the line adjustments by hand.V In some instances the chain -wheel h2 rand 90 side of the standard B within easy reach of Ion 1 pose of dishing boiler or tank heads. The die is applied in any suitable manner to the baseplate and can be readily removed, so that other dies of different shapes or dilferentdiameters may be substituted therefor.

` Hung from the beam E is a former J, of such a width that only a section of the plate is acted upon at each pressing. The center block e' is rigidly secured to the bars e e of the beam E. Adapted to the block c' is a pivotpin K, havingahe'ad 7c at one end and a screwthread at the opposite end on which are nuts K'. j is a ring pivoted to the head by a pin Z, and the ring is pivoted in turn to the segments J by pins Z at right angles to the pin l, so that a swivel-joint is thus formed. Resting on the Vring j is a plate jz, and between the plate and the beam E are springs j', held lin place by suitable bolts which pass through the springs. Thus the former J can readily swing on its pivot and at the same time it has a limited universal movement, whereby it can accommodate itself to the die, as it will be understood that the former for pressingdished heads is a sectional former and' itspiypt by the operator as thev plate is pressed.

""The operationofhe'n'alline is as follows: If the machine is used for dishing plates, then the die and former shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

are mounted in position as in Fig. I. A plate to be shaped or dish'ed is heated to therequired degree, placed on the die I, and the mechanism set in motion, so that a reciprocating motion is imparted to the screws, the beam, and former. This motion, as mentioned above, is limited, and the beam and former are moved toward the plate mounted on the die by turning the screws by the mechanism described above, so that the former as it nears the plate presses on it slightly at each recip- 4 rocation and gradually presses the center of the plate into the die. The 'mjgrned arnnn d onits.pivot gradually for ha a revolutiomasitislowered,and it is grad uallylw'- ered by turning the hand-wheel, so that the plate is dished by a gradual pressing operation until it snugly fits the face t' of the die I and conforms to the face t" of the former J, when the former is elevated by turning the screws and the machine stopped and the plate removed.

It will be understood in carrying out my invention that instead of shaping plates or heads for boilers other dies or foi-mers may be used without departing from the main object of my invention, which is to construct a machine the head or former of which'will have a limited reciprocating motion and at the same time be capable of independent adjustment toward or from a die. For instance, if v it is desired to flange the plate around a man- -hole-opening in a boiler or tank a suitable die s turneion.

ing former substituted for the former J. By

- bringing the two parts together as described above a flange will be readily turned down from the plate around the opening.

If a bracket or stay (illustrated in Fig. 10) is to be made from a (iat plate, I may use' a die I', Fig. 9, on which two plates are clamped, one on each side, and a former J 2 is secured to the beam E. This former may be made in two parts, the former proper, s, and the eX- tension s', so that one extension may answer for anumber of formers sin shaping articles such as the bracket shown in Fig. l0. I prefer to use a steadying-post I2, secured to the base of the machine, for guiding the former J 2.

In Fig. Il, I have shown a device for flanging the edges of plates. I3 is a die or block, and J3 is a former having an edge t, shaped to turned down a flange on the plate mounted on the die or block I3. A roller t or other device is made to hold the plate on the die near the edge. Thus it will be seen that different-shaped dies and formers can be used in this machine.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination in a machine for dishing plates, of the cireulardie, a narrow former adapted to shape the plate to the form of the die by a series of pressing movements, the former acting on a section of the plate at each stroke, a carrier for the former and means for reciprocating the carrier, said/@interbei`ng free to turn on the carrier, subs antially as ailforthepurpose/set forth.

2. The combination in a machine for shaping metal objects, of a die, a former, a carrier for the former, a combined gimbal-andswivel connection between the carrier and former, so that the former may be turned on the carrier and will have freedom to accoming metal objects, of a base, two standards,

screws mounted in bearings on said standards, means for reciprocating the screws, a beam having nuts adapted to the screws so thatthe beam will reciprocate with the screws, a former carried by the beam, with means for turning the screws in unison so as to raise or lower the beam independently of the reciprocating motion, substantially as described.

4. 'lhe combination of a base, two standards, a die mounted between the two standards, screws adapted to bearings in the standards, levers connected to the screws, means for operating said lever, a beam having nuts adapted to the screws so that it will recipro- IIO cat-e with the screws, a former carried bythe vwill be. raised or lowered independently of the reciprocating motion, substantially as described,

'5. The combination of a base, two standards, a die mounted between the two standards,screws mounted in bearings on the stand: ards, a lever connected to each screw, powerdriven mechanism for operating the levers and reciprocating the screws, a cross-beam having nuts adapted to the screws, a former` ed to bearings on the standards, a cross-beam.

having nuts adapted to the screws, mechanism for reciprocating the screws, and mechanism for turning the screws, so that the beam and its former will be raised independently of the reciprocating motion and a loose connection between the beam and its former so ein that the former will accommodateitself to the.v l A die, substantiallyjas described. Y

7. The combination of the standards, the die mounted between thestandards, screws adapted to bearings on the standards, a-crossbeam having. nuts adapted to the screws, mechanism for reciprocating the.- screws and mechanism for turning the screws so that the beam and its former will be raised independ ently of thereciprocating motion and a loose connection between the beam and its former so that the beam will accommodate itself t0 the die, a plate, and springs mounted between the tion of the former, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- JACOB C. SOTTER.

Vtnesses ISAAC SPA'rZ,

J. H. MAXWELL.

plate and the beam so as to limit the moa 

